Benelli MR1 Carbine

The MR1 Carbine is the civilian version of the Beretta Rx4 Storm (which never took off). Benelli, a subsidiary of Beretta, designed the ARGO gas system used by the MR1/Rx4 and manufactured both the MR1 and the Rx4 Storm.

Beretta RX4 Storm with accessories. The collapsible stock is not available currently on the RX4.

What differentiates the MR1 from other 5.56mm rifles is the gas system it uses. Originally the Auto-Regulating Gas System (ARGO) was designed for the Benelli M4 Super 90, better known by its US Military designation, the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun. Benelli then adapted the system for their ARGO line of hunting rifles (branded the R1 in the United States). In 2005 the Beretta Rx4 Storm, a tactical version of the ARGO rifle, was introduced and marketed to law enforcement. As far as I know the Rx4 has never been available in a select fire variant but they decided to market it to civilians as the Benelli MR1.

Benelli M4 Super 90 / M1014

Benelli ARGO EL

The ARGO gas system has an interesting short stroke piston design. Gas is trapped very close to the chamber. The high pressure gas ensures reliable cycling regardless of ammunition. This means that it can cycle any shotgun shells, regardless of the load. For a rifle it means the barrel can be very short and a suppressor could be fitted without any cycling issues. This gun is just asking to be converted into a Short Barreled Rifle!

The gas is then fed into an expansion chamber. The pressure in the chamber drives the piston assembly, which has dual rods. The high pressure is regulated by a release value. These diagrams should illustrate how the system works.

The receiver is made of aluminum, it is fully compatible with AR-15 magazines (including the 100 round drums) and, like all Benelli shotguns and rifles, the main spring is placed inside the butt stock - meaning a folding stock is not an option, although hopefully an M1014 folding stock will be made available.

MR1 Specifications:

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO / .223 Rem. Barrel: 16". Hard chrome lined. 1:9 twist. Rear Sights: Military-style Aperture Weight: 7.9 lbs.

The MSRP is $1299. I think they have priced it right. Although not cheap, and they can do better than the one five round magazine they ship with it, I doubt they could sell it much cheaper.

MR1 with 5 round magazine.

Like all most of the Extreme Shock range, the bullets are made from compressed tungsten powder enclosed in a copper jacket. The round fragments when it hits a hard surface. As the name suggests this round is not intended for long range gun fights. It is a short range round suitable for self defense when over penetration of a standard 5.56mm or .223 Rem. round could have serious consequences. Extreme Shock says the round has enough energy to cycle a semi-automatic action.

The SRT’s 100 grain projectile is a frangible, lead-free design that will fragment on harder surfaces that would typically cause a lead-core bullet to ricochet. This projectile consists of a compressed tungsten powder core that is encased in a high quality copper jacket, with a special DuPont coating to reduce the velocity. This all works to produce lower recoil and minimize muzzle flash, thus enhancing the ability to acquire second shot placement faster.

The MSRP is $41.27 for a 20 rounds. Not at all cheap.

There is no better illustration for this change than the Evil Black Rifle itself which has just joined the Ruger product offering. The slogan for the SR-556 is "a platform redefined". I say it should be "a company redefined". I present to you the Ruger AR-15, the SR-556:

Ruger SR-556

Ok, I will wipe the tear from my eye, be a man and shove my emotional outburst back down where it came from Onto the features ...

The most significant feature is a new short stroke gas piston designed by Ruger. It shares the same benefits as other gas pistons system: a cleaner, cooler bolt carrier as the excess gas it vented out the gas block, far from the upper receiver. The AR-15 was not designed for a piston and retrofit piston systems can cause problems, for example the pressure from the piston operating rob can cause the bolt carrier to bind. It was been suggested that the Ruger bolt carrier is designed to mitigate this particular problem. Time will tell (I am no expert on this topic).

The chrome lined SR-556 bolt carrier.

Disassembly of the gas system.

Another feature is a four position gas regulator. The first position prevents any gas entering the piston system. This turns the rifle into a single shot which requires the bolt to be manually cycled between shots. The next position allows the normal quantity of gas into the piston system to cycle the bolt. The next two position each let in more gas than the previous system which can help when the rifle is dirty or the ammunition is low powered. It is a compelling feature for reloaders because it gives them a greater range of adjustment for thier powder loads.

Chromed gas regulator.

Gas regulator positions.

The rifle also features:

• Full length Troy Industries Quad Rail with rail covers.
• Hogue Pistol grip.
• Ruger branded Troy Industries flip up Backup Iron Sights (BUIS).
• Ships with three 30-round Magpul PMAG magazines.

Ruger branded Troy Rear Sight

The Specs:

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO / .223 Remington Barrel: 16.12" Barrel Twist: 1:9 Right Hand Weight: 7.92 lbs Total Length: 32.75" - 36" (depending on stock position) Stock: 6 position M4 style

It is nice to see Ruger has explicitly said .223 Remington AND 5.56mm NATO are compatible with the rifle.

The MSRP is $1,995. It is expensive and you could build one your self from parts for less, but if the gas system works flawlessly then I think it will be a good seller. I think it will sell for about $1800 on the street.

Here is the Ruger promotional video. They seem to be keen to promote it to law enforcement and military:

GunBlast.com made this video showing the rifle in action:

This photo is from Snowflakes in Hell. For the high resolution version and many more photos as well as on the ground reporting from the launch visit Snowflakes in Hell:

This photo Adam's Incoming blog. For many more photos check out the Guns and Hunting Incoming blog.

More information about the rifle is at Caleb's Gun Nuts Media blog.

Thanks to y'all who emailed me about the SR-556. I appreciate it. Contrary to popular belief I am not dead just slow and overworked.

UPDATE: Many thanks to Brian for sending me these photos of his new Ruger SR-556.

Fore-end and gas regulator. The Backup Iron Sights. Nice touch with the buttstock Ruger logo.

… he then goes on to show off the stitching kits he stole form the hospital / clinic that sewed his arm up.

Many thanks to Jay for emailing me the video.

Instead, I bought a 26″ Krieger AR-15 Varmatch barrel, with a 1:7.75 twist. They had these in stock, so it showed up at my apartment in about 2 weeks. To block the gas port, I simply installed the gas block off-centered (then later rotated it upside down because I was getting stung by gas and ejecta which managed to leak through the gas block and out the rear-facing hole where the gas tube would normally be).

A great looking rifle and I am sure it functions well and the bolt can probably be worked faster than many straight pull bolt actions.

More info and photos at Tech, Guns, and Food Blog

They feature
* 20″ heavy barrel
* Hogue OverMolded stock
* Harris bipod! Yes, they actually come standard with a harris bipod.
* A newly designed two stage target trigger.
* Built-in magazine, an odd choice for a tactical styled rifle.

Three calibers are on offer: .223 Rem., .243 Win. and .308 Win.

Specs for the .308 model:

Capacity: 4 Rounds
Finish: Hawkeye Matte Blued
Stock: Black Hogue® OverMolded®
Barrel Length: 20″
Groove: 6
Twist: 1:10″ RH
Overall Length: 40″
Weight: 8 3/4 lbs
Front Sight(s): None
Rear Sight(s): None
Other Features: Two-Stage Trigger; Three-Position Manual Safety
Miscellaneous: Harris Bipod included.

MSRP is $1138.

by Sven Ortmann, lastdingo@gmx.de, 2008-01-05

Caliber: 9×19 mm and .45ACP (= 11.43×23mm)

This is the standard NATO caliber for pistols and a popular caliber for submachineguns. The only ones who seem to have a strong dislike for this caliber seem to be those U.S. Americans who continue to compare it with .45ACP.

The U.S. American problems with the 9×19mm caliber seem to include a mix of emotions (a Colt M1911 in .45ACP feels much more powerful) and poor quality of the U.S. standard issue 9mm pistols. The latter is as far as I know more a magazine production quality problem than a pistol design problem. The origin of .45ACP is said to lie in combat experience around 1900 in the Philippines where determined Philippinos weren’t stopped reliably by smaller revolver calibers. Tests on live animals in 1904 showed better effects for heavier bullets, but little improvement with velocity. Bullet design has improved a lot since then, and hollowpoint bullets that flatten their nose in soft tissue to increase their diameter are much more effective than simple soft lead bullets. A good 9mm bullet enjoys a similar advantage over a .45ACP soft lead bullet than the latter over a 9mm soft lead bullet. There’s a fundamental problem, though: There’s not much difference in effect on the target if you hit the wrong places and the permanent cavities of pistol bullets are all relatively small. Many body parts are simply not essential enough – their destruction doesn’t stop a determined opponent immediately; no matter whether you hit with .45ACP or 9×19mm.
A new procurement of pistols could easily be a significant improvement over existing 9×19mm service pistols, though. A new pistol could be designed to use reliably both standard 9×19mm and “hot” 9×19mm loadings (higher pressure). The latter would give some extra punch, especially extra penetration. A further improvement is possible by procurement of better bullets. The Russians have a 9mm semi-jacketed exposed steel core bullet that combines AP effect (hard core) with a hollow-point effect (outer parts of the bullets deform and effectively increase the bullet diameter in soft tissue). Such a bullet has enough penetration capability against a combination of a full pouch and a light kevlar vest. An improvement of pistol accuracy is probably more pressing than the caliber; some sort of shoulder stock and easily visible sights (large iron sights as usual on revolvers, for example) could help.

Caliber: 5.56×45mm NATO

This caliber is at the center of a great and long-lasting controversy. Its opponents call it a varmint caliber and report firefights with multiple hits on the same opponent without satisfactory effect. They compare this caliber very often to the supposedly more effective 7.62×51mm caliber. More about that in the 7.62 chapter. Another problem with 5.56×45mm is its rather unsatisfactory ability to penetrate wooden or wall covers. A dissatisfaction with the standard service rifles/carbines of both the USA and the UK (the British solved their problems with an extensive upgrade) and the use of rather short barrels in the U.S. M4 carbine add to the problems with 5.56×45mm.

The defenders of the caliber remind us that even mutilating wounds by much larger calibers and even explosive warheads cannot reliably stop a determined opponent.

The most terrible problem in the 5.56×45mm caliber discussion is the use of anecdotes. Different barrels, ranges and hit locations produce very different effects, so you will always find anecdotes to support your position on this caliber – no matter what’s your position.

There’s (apparently especially in Germany) a stupid rumor about 5.56×45mm and rifle calibers in general that tells about a nervous shock that can kill even with only small injuries. It’s nonsense. A short primer on rifle/carbine bullets; they behave differently in soft tissue than most pistol bullets. They don’t move straight through the tissue all the way. Instead, they begin to turn and usually exit bottom forward. Some bullets break up under the stress of this turn, and the fragmentation increases the destruction of soft tissue very much. A turning bullet doesn’t create a permanent cavity of much greater diameter than its own length; a disintegrating bullet can create a much, much larger permanent cavity.

The ideal rifle/carbine bullet looks like this; it’s able to penetrate cover/armor, it begins to turn in soft tissue immediately and it disintegrates into fragments with devastating effect in soft tissue (terminal ballistics). Good sectional density and ballistic coefficient are important for a good effective range (external ballistics). Finally, some people want it to be lead-free to protect the environment and save costs on shooting range maintenance.

So what does a 5.56×45mm bullet really do? Answer; it depends.

The differences between 5.56mm bullets are noteworthy in terms of cover penetration (heavier is better), but all seem to share a rather disappointing “performance” in soft tissue. The bullet begins to turn later than desired. This means that frontal hits on skinny opponents are often not very effective because the most destructive part – the turning and possible fragmentation – happens too late (the 180° turn isn’t completed before exit).

The other problem in soft tissue is fragmentation. Fragmentation is necessary to achieve a good deal of damage with the small bullet. This requires a good impact velocity and appropriate bullet design. Short-barrelled weapons don’t accelerate the bullet to the originally intended velocity, and the velocity drops rapidly with the distance. 5.56×45mm fired from carbines like the M4 carbine produce very little if any fragmentation in soft tissue at distances greater than about 50-100m.

Carbines and assault rifles should be effective to at least 300m, squad sharpshooters (also known as Designated Marksmen) and light machinegunners should be highly effective out to 400m with good effect. 5.56×45mm doesn’t offer much effect in soft tissue at many relevant ranges unless fired from long barrelled weapons. Barrel lengths of at least 18″ or at the very least 16″ are often recommended. The original M16 assault rifle and many other assault rifle with this caliber have a barrel length of 20″ while the M4 carbine has only a 14.5″ barrel.

There’s apparently not much potential for improvement in the 5.56×45mm caliber: Heavy bullets for improved cover penetration and long barrels for reliable fragmentation seem to be somewhat successful approaches.

Caliber: PDW cartridges (5.7×28mm and 4.6×30mm)

These calibers share the same problems as 5.56×45mm, just even more so (they don’t seem to break up at all).

The short story is like this: Weapons in these calibers are easily controlled in full auto fire due to the low impulse of the cartridges (light bullets). The individual bullets don’t do much to soft tissue (but more than you would tolerate in your own soft tissue).

The strength of these calibers is the higher hit probability (especially for ill-trained support troops) in comparison to 9×19mm and .45ACP. The higher hit count might make up for the lesser effect of individual bullets. A one-vs-one comparison of the wound ballistic effects is therefore misleading. More hits also add to the chance of hitting something really vital.

There are other, less well-known calibers for PDWs (personal defence weapons) than these two. Some use larger calibers, but they’re likely all either similar to my description of pistol or PDW caliber wound ballistics.

Caliber: 7.62×51mm NATO

This is another NATO standard caliber (forced on NATO by the USA against a clearly superior British design). It has been replaced as assault rifle caliber by 5.56×45mm almost completely and was never a carbine caliber. 7.62×51mm is still very widespread as machinegun caliber in NATO armies and is also in use with some sniper/sharpshooter rifles.

The caliber was too powerful for controllable assault rifle full auto fire (well, controllability in bursts was OK within hand grenade range). The cartridges are quite heavy and it’s difficult to carry many of them into action; a major disadvantage for suppressive fires unless you need to suppress enemies who are behind light cover.

The penetration of cover is usually satisfactory, but armor penetration isn’t very good for the simple reason that almost all gunshields, armored vehicles and even some heavy body armor were designed to withstand this caliber and its Russian counterpart, 7.62×54mmR. Only expensive SLAP cartridges (saboted light armor penetrating, performance in soft tissue) have a very good penetration capability at short and medium range.

The external ballistics are under criticism for sniping and more powerful calibers (.300WinMag, .338LapuaMag, 9.3×64mm and even .50BMG, for example) with less bullet drop and less wind sensitivity have become important in sniper rifle procurement since the 90’s.

7.62×51mm is often being attributed with a huge and rarely questioned power against soft targets; knockdown power, manstopping power – no matter how they call it. 7.62×51mm is usually presented as the good example in comparison to 5.56mm. This is – at least for U.S.-made 7.62×51mm standard service cartridges – not fully justified. There are significant differences in penetration till the turning movement begins and in fragmentation. The U.S.-made (standard issue) 7.62 bullets aren’t that much better than 5.56mm bullets (if better at all). They penetrate deeply before turning and don’t fragment much.

There have been much superior (at least in fragmentation) bullets in service (like the German ones) and there’s also a 7.62×51mm cartridge/bullet design that fulfills all expectations for soft tissue damage; it begins to turn and fragment very quickly and has a reliable and devastating effect on soft tissue.

Again; you won’t necessarily stop a determined enemy from firing at you if you don’t hit the right spots – no matter what rifle ammunition you use.

Caliber: .50BMG (= 12,7×99mm NATO)

This caliber is widespread and has loyal fans in the USA and also elsewhere, but it wasn’t adopted in some NATO forces and has some drawbacks.

It was originally a tank-penetrating caliber for machine guns (M2 Browning, later M2HB). Similar cartridges were used during the World Wars by anti-tank rifles (which were only able to penetrate light armor plates). Tanks got thicker armor plating by the mid-1930’s, leaving only light armored vehicles and certain vulnerable spots on heavier armored vehicles as vulnerable to .50BMG. This application has been revived in the 1980’s for long-range and “anti-material” sniping.

There’s no very lively discussion about this caliber in the public. Attempts to replace it focused on intermediate sniping cartridges for long-range and armor-penetrating sniping (like .338LapuaMag), 40×54mm HE cartridges for automatic grenade launchers that replaced many M2HB (.50BMG) machine guns on vehicles and finally a high-tech 25mm air-burst HE cartridge in the failed OCSW program.

The primary problems of .50BMG are weight and volume. Both ammunition and weapon are much bigger than their 7.62×51mm counterparts. The ammunition supply for a .50BMG is usually very small in comparison to the 7.62×51mm alternative. .50BMG is also too heavy for dismounted machine gun use on the move; it can be done (with a tripod), but the effort isn’t justified in most situations.

This caliber is probably only justified if the extra penetration is really necessary. One example: Reconnaissance vehicles need to be able to take on enemy reconnaissance vehicles which are usually armored against 7.62×51mm AP, so something heavier is desirable even for the lightest recce vehicles.

An intermediate machine gun caliber close to the .338LapuaMag sniper cartridge could match the utility of .50BMG in most situations with significantly more ammunition for the same weight and volume.

Both .50BMG and 7.62×51mm are quite well-established and not much under criticism, so there’s no good reason to expect a new, intermediate caliber standard for machine guns.

Ideal caliber discussions

The “ideal” infantry rifle caliber needs to be suitable for rifle, carbine, light machine gun and possibly even squad sharpshooter and medium machine gun applications. Penetration is important, bullet drop and effect at ranges like 400 or 500m is important, soft tissue damage needs to be good and consistent at all ranges and both weight and volume need to allow for a good ammunition load.

Historical and recent conclusions about an ideal infantry caliber almost always agreed on a calibre in the range from 6 to 7 mm. The larger ones tend to have better effect and to be heavier while the smaller calibers in that range tend to offer superior external ballistics (flatter trajectory, more useful at long range).

The optimum is probably close the the center; a 6 or 6.25mm caliber would probably be too close to 5.56mm to convince the 5.56mm critics (maybe for good reasons).

The 6.5mm Grendel and 6.8mm SPC calibers have become famous in the last few years as optimal caliber candidates. Both use conventional cartridge technology – it may be that confidential details from plastic case technology development would favor something like a 6.5-6.8mm plastic cased cartridge instead.

Links for additional reading (and graphics)

There are thousands of possible links, but most would lead you to misleading information.

http://www.rayguncharlie.net/sr/basics/pmrb.html

http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2008Intl/Roberts.pdf

http://www.firearmstactical.com/wound.htm

http://www.recguns.com/Sources/IVF1.html

http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/PDWdebunk.html

Keep in mind at this link that bullet technology has advanced significantly since 1904:
http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/1904trial.html

http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/pigboard.html

Bullet categories:
http://world.guns.ru/ammo/bullets-e.htm#sjesc

An overview over PDWs:
http://www.personaldefenceweapons.com

I looked on the Hogden site and found a subsonic load: 3.1 grains of Titegroup and a 55 grain bullet. I tried 3.1 grains of Titegroup under a Nosler 69. It works, doesn’t cycle the rifle but it’s quiet. The gun kind of rattles a bit when it goes off. Kind of a beefed up .22lr. About six inches under the zero for my normal ammo.

As he said, a problem is that a subsonic 55 grain has about the same muzzle energy as a High velocity .22 Long Rifle. On the other hand a heavy 77 grain bullet will not give great accuracy unless the correct barrel twist is used. The Shooting Times says a 1:8 twist rate is the minimum need to stabilize a 77 grain Sierra MatchKing.

I look forward to following BlackFork’s progress.

More at BlackFork

Hat Tip: Snowflakes in Hell

The Savage Accutrigger raised the bar on what consumers could realistically expect from a mass-produced factory trigger.Savage have brought custom-performance to factory-mass-produced stocks. They call it the AccuStock.

Savage explains the technology in their press release:

The AccuStock uses an aluminum spine and 3D Bedding Cradle molded into the stock in such a manner that it becomes an integral part of the composite stock.

The result is a polymer composite stock that possesses many of the same properties of high-end aftermarket stocks, bringing this high level of performance to the production rifle.

…

Rigidity – With its integral aluminum spine that runs from the action down the length of the forearm, the AccuStock is the most rigid factory polymer stock in the marketplace. No matter how hot the weather or the barrel, the forend stays rock-solid and the barrel remains free-floating.

Three-Dimensional Bedding Pressure – Pillar-bedded and v-block stocks, as good as they are, only apply bedding pressure on one axis, up and down. The AccuStock uses a wedge bolt to push the recoil lug back into the aluminum spine to prevent any movement forward and aft, while the bedding cradle literally squeezes the action from the sides when the action screws are tightened.

Initially two rifles will be available with the AccuStock:

Model 10 FCP

* AccuTrigger
* Proprietary Muzzle Brake (new from Savage)
* Detachable Box Magazine
* Oversized Bolt handle
* 24-inch heavy, fluted barrel
* Matte Finish
* Available in 308 Win. And 223 Rem.
* Left-hand models available

Model 10 FCP

Model 10 Precision Carbine

* Camo: Digital Green Camo
* 20-in medium-contour barrel
* AccuTrigger
* Detachable Box Magazine
* Oversized Bolt Handle
* Matte Black Metal Finish
* Available in 308 Win. and 223 Rem.

Model 10 Precision Carbine

No word on pricing. Unfortunately it is not yet offering rimfire models.

Winchester has announced a new line of lead-free ammunition.

CCI currently manufactures lead free .22 Magnum called TNT GREEN but as far as I know Winchester are the first US manufacturer to announce lead free .22 LR. It is rumored that more companies will unveil their lead free rimfire at SHOT 2009.

The new Winchester SUPER-X .22 Long Rifle will propel a 30 grain THP (tin hollow point) at 1650 fps. This is a hot “hyper velocity” load which generates 181 foot pounds of energy, only slightly less powerful that the CCI Stinger at the muzzle.

It is likely that the case will be extended in length, like the CCI Stringer. The extended case can prevent the round from chambering in some rifles.

CCI Stinger length compared to standard .22LR (Wikipedia)

The new SUPER-X .22 Win. Mag (.22 Magnum / .22 WMR) pushes a 28 grain JHP at 2200 fps. The under 30 grain bullet means it will won’t perform as well as standard .22 Magnum 30 grain rounds.

SUPER-X .223 Rem lead-free pushes a 55 grain bullet at 3030 fps. Like the .22 Magnum, there is a significant performance hit. The round is being marketed as varmint cartridge..

This new range should be available in Spring 2009.

* That was a joke. I bought 100 rounds of “toxic” ammo today.

Hat Tip: Shooting Wire.

Both versions will be available: the .223/5.56mm SCAR 16S (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Light) and the .308/7.62×51mm (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Heavy).

SCAR-Light carbine (14″ barrel). The civilian model will have a longer barrel.

I have emailed FNH USA for pricing details but they have not yet got back to me.

From the press release:

Experience the civilian-legal semi-auto only version of the rifle chosen by U.S. Special Operations Command as its first new rifle since the early 1960’s. The SCAR 16S is chambered in 5.56X45mm NATO (223 Rem.) while the SCAR 17S fires the 7.62X51mm NATO (308 Win.) cartridge. The innovative gas-operated, short stroke piston system reduces fouling for greater reliability. The side folding polymer stock is fully adjustable for comb height and length of pull and is colored authentic USSOCOM Flat Dark Earth. Both 10 and 30-round detachable box magazines(DBM) are available, and the ambidextrous operating controls instantly adapt the SCAR S-Series to any user.

Unfortunately they will not come with this …

UPDATE:

Photo of SCAR 16S:

When it comes to tactical firearms, there’s no more trusted name in the game than Remington. In rugged endurance, our Model 700 XCR Compact Tactical Rifle truly stretches the limits.

Our Model 700 XCR Compact Tactical Rifle, features a 416 stainless steel barreled action with Black TriNyte® PVD coating, providing a diamond-hard layer of defense against the elements. It features a OD Green stock with black webbing, wide tactical-style barrel fluting for rapid cooling, hinged floorplate magazine, and dual front swivel studs and rear stud.

Black TriNyte® PVD coating

OD Green stock

Hinged floorplate magazine, Dual front swivel studs and rear stud

Barrel is free-floating with LTR-style fluting

Tactical-style 1 in 9″ twist (223 caliber)

Tactical-style 1 in 12″ twist (308 caliber)

20″ barrel

Chambered in .223 and .308

Click to expand the image

It shows pictures of all 5 configurations:

• 18 inch SPR
• 14.5 inch Carbine
• 14.5 inch Multi caliber
• 11.5 inch extended
• 11.4 inch folded

The back of the poster (click to expand)

The full size poster can be downloaded here: front, back

As I briefly mentioned before I did an interview with Drake Clark, who works at Magpul, about the Masada. I will be posting it shortly.

(Click to enlarge the photos)

More photos here.

From HKPRO.com

While sources in the U.S. report that the civilian 416/417 will not be ready for SHOT Show 2008, it might possibly be by NRA show, with an estimated preparedness for production in Q3, 2008. One can easily understand why with a projected deadline and unforeseen delays and missed deadlines creates hostility in the gun buying public, that they are now hesitant to be held to that. I can only commend them for that. Progressive companies like MAGPUL have ceased giving estimated delivery dates for their new products completely. So, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to stroll into your authorized HK dealer for a new 416 or 417 until 2009 at the earliest. But still, how much better than not at all?

Photos from the BKA document approving the MR223 and MR308 rifles (416 and 417) for German civilian sales.

The impact on those selling existing upper receivers from lawfully imported select fire 416s will be immediately obvious. Many gunowners will jump at the chance to own an HK manufactured piston driven AR variant or upper receiver kit. Some will not, forever having forsworn any allegiance to HK after the initial “thumbing of the nose” at the civilian HK customer. While HK is primarily a gun manufacturer specializing in police and military firearms, one only need to look in the gun safe for an HK91, 93 or 94 to remember the different perspective that HK had at one time. However, 2007 is not 1983, neither in managerial philosophy nor statutorily. And one must remain mindful of that.

It will be interesting to see what the eventual price will be.

More here.

Click to enlarge.

The latest version of this chart can be found here on m4carbine.net

(I removed the serial numbers from the photos)

The first one is a Ruger Mini-14 Stainless model in .223. This one has been “modified” with a Choate stock, muzzle break/flash disperser, an inexpensive Eurolux 4x bullet drop compensating, side mount scope and an Eagle Ent. 36 round polymer, see through, constant tension spring magazine. With all the extras, 2″ groups are the norm for this piece. Not a tack driver, but certainly “good enough” for plinking, fun shooting and serious close in (less than 150 yard) tactical purposes. This piece is utterly reliable (only problems have been with Wolf polymer coated rounds) and everyone that has shot it has enjoyed the experience. Total cost of gun and accessories is around $525. I bought the basic gun, new, about 8 years ago for just under $400.

I think the Choate stock had a lot to do with the improvement in accuracy which I experienced. Yes, it is a tight fit, which is good – less wiggle room for the receiver to move around from shot to shot. The stock is lighter than the factory wood and very durable. The hand grip is probably one of the best features as it provides a more steady grip, at least for me. The hand grip and the fore stock have very aggresive checkering molded in and provide a non-slip grip. The rubber recoil pad on the butt adds just a little bit of extra reach and helps lock the stock into the shoulder. It is well worth the money if you want to improve the performance of your Mini-14. The muzzle break was probably the biggest contributor to accuracy – from what I’ve read recently, one of the factors affecting Mini accuracy is barrel harmonics because of the thin taper barrel. The new Target Mini has a barrel harmonic dampener – I think the muzzle break has a similar affect. It is not there just “for nice” it does work.

The full thread is here.

The basic idea of the R-15 VTR is to bring a sporting focus to the black gun market. As such, the new rifle will be offered in three configurations–the Predator, Predator Carbine and Predator Carbine CS (collapsible stock) in two calibers-the .223 and Ruger .204-and will retail for $1,145. The three platforms (all in Advantage Max-1 HD camo) will feature button-rifled, fluted barrels with recessed hunting crowns. The uppers and lowers are machined from aluminum forgings and all will carry the Remington name. The free-floating fore-end tube is drilled and tapped for accessory rails and all rifles come with a five-round magazine box and a lockable hard case.

More info about the new AR here @ The Gun Shots

Everyone knew Remington was going to produce an AR-15 after they were purchased by the parent company of Bushmaster. It makes sense. There is a lot of money in black rifles.

UPDATE: Here are some photos (from The Gun Nut):

Dave had this to say

The trigger, which is Remington’s own design, is quite good, and only the very fussy will want to opt for an optional two-stage trigger.

UPDATE:

From Remington

Model R-15 VTRâ„¢ Features:

New semi-automatic AR-15-style rifle developed in conjunction with industry leader in AR platform

Free-floating button-rifled 0.680″ Muzzle OD ChroMoly barrels with recessed hunting crown for superior accuracy

Fluted barrel design reduces weight

Clean-breaking single-stage trigger

Receiver-length picatinny rail for adding optics

Ergonomic pistol grip

Fore-end tube drilled and tapped for accessory rails

Full Advantage Max-1 HD coverage

Includes 5-round magazine

Legal for hunting in most states

Compatible with aftermarket AR-15/M-16 magazines

The industry leader in AR-platform rifles met the world leader in hunting firearms, and Remington Country will never be the same. Working in close conjunction, we created an unrivaled combination of precision accuracy, blazing-fast follow-ups and hunt-specific features. The new R-15 VTR modular repeating rifle was born of the most advanced design aspects of AR-15-style rifles available today with a strong emphasis on optimizing form and functionality for the modern predator aficionado. The results are astounding – with very, very fatal implications for every coyote, fox or bobcat that crosses your path.

For peak accuracy, the R-15’s 0.680″ OD barrel sis precision-crafted from ChroMoly steel. It’s free-floated within the machined-aluminum fore-end tube and given a recessed hunting crown to ensure gasses escape evenly around the bullet for the ultimate in shot-to-shot consistency. Six longitudinal flutes forward of the gas block promote rapid barrel cooling and increase rigidity while reducing weight, further contributing to this rifle’s ability to print tiny clusters at an incredible pace.

And our exclusive single-stage trigger design is as clean-breaking as they come. The semi-automatic gas action all but eliminates muzzle jump and recoil so your target remains in the crosshairs. And when it’s time to add optics, the receiver-length picatinny rail makes it a rock-solid cinch.

Control comes natural with the ergonomic pistol grip and lightweight overall design of the R-15. Its uppers and lowers are machined from aluminum forgings for featherweight durability, and the fore-end tube is drilled and tapped for accessory rails.

This new family of firearms consists of three models. Each designed with input from leading predator authorities and decked in the ultra-effective Advantage MAX-1 HD camouflage to blend with sage, open country and a multitude of hunting terrains. All come with five-round magazines and are compatible with all aftermarket AR-15/M-16 style magazines and other accessories.

(click to enlarge)